49ers' Colin Kaepernick fined $10K for headphones

JANIE McCAULEY

Oct. 09, 2014

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick said Thursday that he has been fined $10,000 by the NFL for the pink "Beats by Dre" brand name headphones he wore around his neck after Sunday's game.

While Kaepernick has an endorsement deal with Beats and has done a commercial, the league's contract is with Bose. Wearing the pink version for October breast cancer awareness month, Kaepernick knew he could be subject to a fine after the 22-17 win Sunday.

Yet it's more than the $8,286 fine the Broncos' Julius Thomas faces for a chop block on Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell.

Kaepernick later took to Twitter to explain his decision and posted a photo of him with the headphones: "I support breast cancer awareness! My grandma is a survivor!"

He declined to say whether Beats would pick up the cost of his fine, saying, "we'll let that be unanswered."

Last month, Kaepernick announced he had been fined more than $11,000 and had appealed the penalty for what an official called "inappropriate language" by the quarterback following a fourth-quarter interception in a 28-20 loss to the Bears in the Sept. 14 home opener.

Kaepernick reiterated that he did nothing wrong when he and Chicago defensive end Lamarr Houston went at it — and Kaepernick pointed to Houston's comments that the quarterback didn't say anything offensive or out of line. Kaepernick shoved Houston.

In early June, Kaepernick — one of the NFL's most dynamic young playcallers — received a $126 million, six-year contract extension that keeps him with the organization through the 2020 season. The deal includes $61 million in guaranteed money.

The sides had made it a top priority to get a deal done before the start of training camp.